While U.S. ponders response to Russia, agencies’ hands are tied in cyberspace, intelligence chief says

After senators repeatedly criticized him for the weak U.S. response to Russian cyberattacks and propaganda, the head of the intelligence community complained Tuesday that a lack of policy had stifled his agencies from taking action. The White House is currently involved in various policy discussions with intelligence agencies, the Pentagon and the Homeland Security Department about how to best counter Russian operations, said Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. But there’s still no timetable for when any of these policies will be either introduced or codified into law. In the meantime, “Russia is likely to continue to pursue even more aggressive cyberattacks with the intent of degrading our democratic values and weakening our alliances,” Coats said Tuesday at a hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee. The National Security Council, White House Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert and White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Rob Joyce are discussing the appropriate policy and legal framework necessary […]

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ODNI holds classified briefings on election security for all 50 states

State election officials from all 50 states are to receive classified briefings from intelligence officials Friday and Sunday about threats to election security. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced on Thursday that it will hold the briefings in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI “as part of an ongoing effort to ensure the integrity and security of the nation’s election infrastructure.” The briefings coincide with annual conferences for the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors being held through the weekend in Washington, D.C. Since the 2016 presidential election, lawmakers have been calling on the intelligence community to expedite the security clearance process for state election officials in order for them to review information about election threats. Several bills have been introduced in Congress in recent months with involvement from both parties that would set requirements around this issue. The […]

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NSA collected records of 151m Americans – but wait, didn’t bulk collection stop three years ago?

How did the NSA end up collecting the records of so many people on 2015 when it was only authorized to go after 42 suspected terrorists? Continue reading NSA collected records of 151m Americans – but wait, didn’t bulk collection stop three years ago?

Top U.S. intelligence official: Media is wrong about low morale

The issue of sinking morale within the U.S. intelligence community is a myth fabricated by the media, said a top U.S. intelligence official who spoke Thursday at the National Press Club. “I am in the intelligence community, I have spent time in the FBI, in NCSC now and CIA, and I don’t see a dip […]

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Top U.S. intelligence official: Media is wrong about low morale

The issue of sinking morale within the U.S. intelligence community is a myth fabricated by the media, said a top U.S. intelligence official who spoke Thursday at the National Press Club. “I am in the intelligence community, I have spent time in the FBI, in NCSC now and CIA, and I don’t see a dip […]

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